The North London Derby is history. In the rear view. Over and done with. The evil, match-postponing Arsenal have been rightfully vanquished by the heroic Tottenham and their trusty steed Paul Tierney. The time to dwell on that result is approaching its end.
However, contrary to what the behavior of football media may suggest, Arsenal remain in fourth place in the Premier League, a point above Spurs. All that has changed is that the Gunners’ cushion is gone. The room for error is now virtually zero. But the race for the final Champions League berth remains in their hands. Two wins in the next week will see them through.
But Arsenal have truly been through the ringer over the last month and change. Kieran Tierney suffered a season-ending knee injury playing friendlies for Scotland during the final international break. Thomas Partey sustained a thigh issue likely to conclude his campaign as well. Takehiro Tomiyasu has only just returned from a calf problem that kept him sidelined for almost three months. Alexandre Lacazette has regressed into a nonfactor. Bukayo Saka is almost assuredly carrying a knock as well.
As a result, Mikel Arteta has found himself marshaling a rather threadbare squad during the run-in, relying on several understudies to see him through to a top-four finish. With a collection of young, inexperienced starters and backups, Arsenal secured consecutive wins over Chelsea, Manchester United, West Ham, and Leeds before their loss to Spurs. The manager is currently extracting a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.
But things have gotten even more difficult. Gabriel has apparently hurt his hamstring and is perhaps at risk of not appearing again this season. Holding’s head loss at Spurs means he is suspended for the next match. Now, Arteta won’t so much pick his next back four as he will simply deploy whoever is available.
The first of Arsenal’s final two matches is an away trip to Newcastle. One of the in-form sides in the league at the moment, the Magpies sport a less depleted squad than Arsenal do. The likes of Allan Saint-Maximin, Bruno Guimaraes, and Chris Wood will look to mark their final home game with a win to ring in a new, Saudi-backed era in their club’s history. However, they sit in 14th place with nothing in particular to play for.
On the final afternoon of the season, Arsenal will host Everton. The Toffees are currently battling to avoid relegation, but may be safe by the time they arrive at the Emirates. Only time will tell on that front. However, between an underperforming and perhaps even unmotivated squad and a rather unremarkable manager in Frank Lampard, they are a challenge that most expect Arteta’s men to handle.
Those are the two opponents standing between Arsenal and unexpected glory now. In particular, Newcastle at St. James’ Park looms large in light of the Gunners’ decreasing numbers. But honestly, this a rather fair final challenge to have to overcome in order to seal fourth place.
The remaining players available to Mikel Arteta largely form two distinct groups: the Touted and the Doubted. The Touted consist of the young, high-ceiling talents that have recognizably transformed the side. Of course the group includes the “Fab Four” of Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Emile Smith Rowe, and Martin Odegaard. But the likes of White, Tomiyasu, and Aaron Ramsdale also reside in this category. These players are at the very least largely appreciated by the club faithful and at most ones that the club faithful will not hesitate to go to war for on social media.
Then there are the Doubted. These players have spent much of their Arsenal careers performing below expectations and facing a constant drizzle of unease from their own supporters whenever they’ve set foot on the pitch. Trust in them is always thin to start, slow to build, and quick to erode. Within this group are players such as Cedric, Rob Holding, Nuno Tavares, Granit Xhaka, Mohamed Elneny, and Eddie Nketiah. These unlikely heroes are now required to step up at a crucial moment in Arsenal’s season, and perhaps the club’s history as well.
Both of these sets of players have a lot to prove. Either due to inexperience or a historic level of performance, neither group has demonstrated that they are worthy of playing in the highest level of European competition. However, their opportunity to show they can indeed bring Champions League football to Arsenal is here. And they must grab it with both hands.
The fact of the matter is, any team deserving of a berth in UEFA’s most prestigious tournament should win these final two matches of the season (barring any game-deciding decisions by the officials, of course). While both Newcastle and Everton boast quality of their own and can make things difficult, they nevertheless sit in the bottom half of the table. One has nothing of import to strive for, and the other may also be in that boat come the final day of the campaign.
If Arsenal’s Touted and Doubted wish to show that they are worthy of the Champions League, they have to win those games. They must do the business just like other players featuring in the competition would. The Fab Four and Nketiah need to create and score the goals Arsenal need to achieve victory like the top-four quality attackers they wish to be. Cedric, Tavares, and Elneny must be defensively secure at a Champions League level and keep their team from losing. Otherwise, they can have no complaints if they aren’t facing off against the finest clubs on the continent next season.
This is a pivotal challenge that has materialized before Arteta and his remaining men. But it is a fair one. Pass this test, and no one can convincingly claim they don’t deserve their spoils. If they fail, they will have shown that fifth place is where they belong for now. The Touted must prove their backers right and the Doubted must prove their critics wrong. If they each can perform their respective task, then Arsenal will have successfully done both.
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